Neuroimaging the effects of modafinil in healthy volunteers
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Neuroimaging effects of a single dose of modafinil on brain activation in healthy volunteers
IRAS ID
152618
Contact name
Shôn Lewis
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The University of Manchester
Research summary
Cognitive problems, i.e. problems with memory, attention and planning, are almost universal in patients with schizophrenia and account for 20-60% of the difference in functional outcome. Cognitive impairment associated with schizophrenia (CIAS) is well established by the time of the first episode but treatment with antipsychotic medications is not effective for CIAS. Some cognitive-enhancing drugs have shown promising results for CIAS where they generally tend to improve individual cognitive domains without a clear effect on overall cognition. The basis of cognitive problems in schizophrenia remains unclear, but current theories link it to abnormal brain development and disconnections between brain areas.
To better understand how cognition-enhancing agents modify aberrations in cognitive networks’ functioning in schizophrenia, it is attractive to investigate how these agents modify task performance and cognition-related brain networks in healthy participants. It has been argued that an appropriate definition of a cognitive-enhancing drug includes descriptions of its actions on both behaviour and on cognition-related networks. Modafinil is the only drug with cognitive-enhancing properties that has been tested in both chronic and recent onset patients in single-dose studies and has shown beneficial effects, but how modafinil affects cognition is still unclear. Evidence from functional neuroimaging studies in healthy individuals suggests modafinil improves brain effectiveness during cognitive information processing.
Thirty-four healthy volunteers will perform two neurocognitive test batteries at baseline. They will receive modafinil on one occasion and placebo on another, and undergo a magnetic resonance imaging scan whilst performing cognitive tests to investigate how modafinil affects brain activity.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/NW/0299
Date of REC Opinion
6 Jun 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion